Based on the classic …mile Zola novel, Jean Renoir’s La bÍte humaine was one of
the legendary director’s greatest popular successes, tapping into the fatalism
of a nation in despair. Jean Gabin’s emblematic portrayal of doomed train
engineer Jacques Lantier granted him a permanent place in the hearts of his
countrymen. Part poetic realism, part film noir, the film is a hard-boiled and
suspenseful journey into the tormented psyche of a workingman.

****

Jean Renoir's generous sensibility seems at odds with the sterile determinism
of the Zola novel on which this 1938 film was based. Jean Gabin is an
epileptic train engineer drawn to the stationmaster's young wife (Simone
Simon). The couple murders a man who tried to seduce her; Gabin witnesses the
killing and begins an ambiguous emotional blackmail. Fritz Lang remade this
film in 1954 as Human Desire, and as with Lang's other Renoir remake (Scarlet
Street, from La chienne), the material was better served by Lang's
Germanic obsession with destiny. But there is much of Renoir here, most
beautifully in the opening scene with Gabin at the controls of his train,
rushing through the countryside and into the city.

Like
Forbidden Games and The Virgin Spring
releases by Criterion (as well as
Nanook of the North) La bÍte humaine
also has a thick black border around the edge of the frame. This limits
resolution... meaning the image can look even better if it had been
transferred to fill the entire screen. Of course many players will
automatically compensate by zooming in slightly, however this still does
not improve resolution. It does however make screen captures appear
slightly sharper than they might otherwise represent. We will continue
to investigate this increasing Criterion production transfer feature.

We have included two captures from the
Warner (UK) - thanks Pepsi! There is also a Studio Canal (France) release (NOTE:
The UK disc has slightly stronger blacks vs. the French and is not
cropped as much as that release. The Studio Canal has superior extras to
the UK edition but only in French with no optional English subtitles).

Although the image looks quite acceptable it appears
to be a notch ahead of the Warner (and Studio Canal) which are also quite
good (sharp with good contrast). Where this Criterion shines brightest, as
expected, are in the extensive extra features. Renoir introduction and
interviews, Bogdanovich interview etc. make this a complete package for
lovers of Renoir and this film that contains deep noir-ish elements -
one of Renoir's best and we strongly recommend the Criterion DVD
package.